When film is no longer available.

Photo Engineer · Apr 11, 2012

In the 50s or thereabouts, Silver cost about $1 / Oz. It is now probably close to $30 / Oz. So, the price of film will go up just due to the cost of starting materials. Labor likewise.

Digital is coming down due to being on a learning curve for production and innovation.

PE

clayne · Apr 12, 2012

Still waiting for that EMP so I can say "I told ya so!"

Alexis M · Apr 12, 2012

for those who speak french: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxQybr7FOQE

i feel it's far from over for film, quite the opposite.

RPC · Apr 12, 2012

I think the state of film and analog photography would be much worse than it is if it weren't for great internet sites like APUG and ebay. These and others will go along way to keeping analog photography alive in the future.

nickrapak · Apr 12, 2012

I think it will be November 19, 2037 at exactly 22:46:13 EST.

wblynch · Apr 12, 2012

Ironically it is Electronic Enlargers (scanners) that is keeping film alive. Yet we are not allowed to speak of that here.

Old-N-Feeble · Apr 12, 2012

wblynch said:
Ironically it is Electronic Enlargers (scanners) that is keeping film alive. Yet we are not allowed to speak of that here.

:munch:

Athiril · Apr 12, 2012

Photo Engineer said:
In the 50s or thereabouts, Silver cost about $1 / Oz. It is now probably close to $30 / Oz. So, the price of film will go up just due to the cost of starting materials. Labor likewise.

Digital is coming down due to being on a learning curve for production and innovation.

PE

The trend looks like it may drop back to 2005-2009 ($10/oz) prices over some time though.

Also people shoot a lot more Fujichrome than they did Ektachrome.

The only people I've seen or heard of shooting Ektachrome have been a couple students playing with EBX sold in stores.

Everyone that shoots chrome has been shooting Velvia, with a side amount of Provia, for as long as I can remember.

RonaldD · Apr 21, 2012

I'm from Ontario.
GOT IT
Ronald

Poisson Du Jour · Apr 21, 2012

Athiril is right, we chrome shooters will only use Velvia (for punch and Ilfochroming, in a past-tense sense) or Provia for neutral contrast. And still heaps and heaps of Velvia, Provia and other Fuji chrome films are being consumed (and I believe E6 processing demand is rising now). I don't foresee any danger now or in the future to the availability of chrome film. Think along the lines of the guy at IBM who declared, "I think there's a world market for perhaps 5 computers...".

IloveTLRs · Apr 21, 2012

I'm guessing that more than a few people on APUG have friends, etc. that like bringing old cameras back to life: cameras from flea markets, junk shops, etc. I think those people are important to the film market, as they keep film going too, don't they?

DREW WILEY · Apr 23, 2012

Here's how you determine the correct answer : go to Yucatan and make paper rubbings over the Mayan calendar stone. Bring it back here and run it through a paper shredder. Reassemble in a big
ball in a cement mixer like paper mache. Run over it with one of the highway asphalt rollers. Place in
your damn scanner and see what it says. The result will probably be more accurate than any BS you
might read elsewhere.

Roger Cole · Apr 23, 2012

Poisson Du Jour said:
Athiril is right, we chrome shooters will only use Velvia (for punch and Ilfochroming, in a past-tense sense) or Provia for neutral contrast. And still heaps and heaps of Velvia, Provia and other Fuji chrome films are being consumed (and I believe E6 processing demand is rising now). I don't foresee any danger now or in the future to the availability of chrome film. Think along the lines of the guy at IBM who declared, "I think there's a world market for perhaps 5 computers...".

I just wish they'd bring back Astia. (And yes, folks who are about to tell me it's not gone, it IS, it has been discontinued, but is still readily available in 120 and 4x5 from existing stock. Try to find some in 35mm in the US though.) Even Provia is just too contrasty for many occasions for my tastes. I switched to E100G when Astia was discontinued and I really like it too but now...at least it's still readily available. I'm slowly buying a stock that will last a while, anyway.

Hatchetman · Apr 23, 2012

I'm one of the few who prefers Kodak slide film. That way there will be plenty for me in the next few years.

Roger Cole · Apr 23, 2012

Hatchetman said:
I'm one of the few who prefers Kodak slide film. That way there will be plenty for me in the next few years.

Huh? You do realize that Kodak has canceled ALL still transparency films?

Hatchetman · Apr 24, 2012

Roger Cole said:
Huh? You do realize that Kodak has canceled ALL still transparency films?

Yes, but since nobody else is using it, there will be plenty left for me.

BrianShaw · Apr 24, 2012

Good luck with that plan.

Hatchetman · Apr 24, 2012

I stopped by Helix, which I believe has the largest film supply in Chicago. They had no Kodak transparency film of any form.

BrianShaw · Apr 24, 2012

I ran into a similar stiuation with Plus-X. I thought I knew the last source of it (or at least ONE of hte last sources) -- a local shop that had loads of it. The next week it was all gone. Rumor has it that it will appear on ebay at hugely marked up prices.

Roger Cole · Apr 24, 2012

Hatchetman said:
Yes, but since nobody else is using it, there will be plenty left for me.

Ah. Well I am so we can both get some. I'm mostly buying up E100G in 35mm.

Hatchetman · Apr 24, 2012

Roger Cole said:
Ah. Well I am so we can both get some. I'm mostly buying up E100G in 35mm.

That will work well as I prefer the Elite Chrome. That stuff is sooo good on the big screen.

Roger Cole · Apr 25, 2012

Hatchetman said:
That will work well as I prefer the Elite Chrome. That stuff is sooo good on the big screen.

Humm, haven't tried that but it is a bit cheaper. I need to try it. I loved Astia and went to E100G once I could no longer get that. I like E100VS slightly better than Velvia when I want over the top saturation (not that often) but not enough to have a huge preference. They're both too contrasty and too saturated for me most of the time.

When film is no longer available.

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